My Garage

Popular searches

London · London borough

Westminster motoring statistics

How many cars and electric cars are registered in Westminster, which fuels they use, how many public chargers there are and how Westminster compares with London. From DVLA licensing records, DfT charger statistics and ONS population estimates.

Last updated
Records analysed
95,545 licensed vehicles in Westminster
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed cars 88,401 +21.4% on a year earlier
  • Private cars per 1,000 people 178 UK 441
  • Battery electric cars 48,694 55.1% of cars (UK 5.4%)
  • Electric share of private cars 7.6% 2nd highest of 361 councils
  • Public chargers 2,893 1,378 per 100,000 people (UK 175)
  • Company-registered cars 57.8% UK 9.9%

Company fleets. 57.8% of cars registered in Westminster have a company as their keeper, against 9.9% across the UK. DVLA counts company cars at the company’s registered address, so leasing and rental fleets land where those firms are based and move when they move. The figures for privately kept cars are the better guide to local drivers.

How many cars are there in Westminster?

There were 88,401 licensed cars in Westminster at the end of March 2026, and 95,545 licensed vehicles of all kinds. That is 60.5% more cars than in 2010. Privately kept cars work out at 178 for every 1,000 residents, 9th lowest of 361 councils (UK 441).

Licensed vehicles in Westminster

Counts at the end of March each year, 2010 to 2026.

Licensed cars and vehicles in Westminster at the end of March each year
Year All vehiclesCars
2010 63,05255,074
2011 62,08154,304
2012 60,77653,186
2013 59,87852,174
2014 59,10451,595
2015 58,27050,764
2016 58,22550,622
2017 58,11850,494
2018 59,68751,366
2019 57,69649,748
2020 57,66949,979
2021 55,42748,021
2022 56,67249,412
2023 61,96254,559
2024 70,69662,471
2025 80,57172,796
2026 95,54588,401

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Licensed vehicles by type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Cars per 1,000 residents

All licensed cars at the end of June, divided by the ONS mid-year population. Company fleets registered locally push this up.

Cars per 1,000 residents at mid-year, Westminster compared
Year WestminsterLondonUnited Kingdom
2011 247313–
2012 241307–
2013 242303–
2014 241303–
2015 235303473
2016 237304480
2017 246306488
2018 240303490
2019 239301493
2020 238296489
2021 237300493
2022 239295489
2023 269290489
2024 308287490

Source:ONS Mid-2024 Updated

Petrol, diesel and electric cars in Westminster

28.6% of cars in Westminster run on petrol and 7.5% on diesel. Diesel’s share peaked at 34.5% in 2017. Hybrids that do not plug in make up 5.4%, and cars that plug in 58.2%.

Cars by fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel mix over time

Share of licensed cars at the end of March each year.

Share of licensed cars by fuel type in Westminster, end of March each year
Year PetrolDieselHybridBattery electricPlug-in hybrid
2010 76.4%20.6%2.2%0.3%0.0%
2011 74.0%22.7%2.5%0.3%0.0%
2012 71.5%25.1%2.7%0.3%0.0%
2013 68.7%27.7%2.9%0.3%0.0%
2014 66.2%29.9%3.0%0.4%0.1%
2015 63.5%32.1%3.2%0.5%0.2%
2016 61.5%33.5%3.4%0.6%0.5%
2017 59.6%34.5%3.8%0.9%0.8%
2018 60.1%32.6%4.1%1.4%1.4%
2019 61.7%29.6%4.5%1.9%2.0%
2020 64.4%25.9%4.5%2.6%2.3%
2021 64.2%23.4%5.1%4.0%3.0%
2022 63.5%18.5%5.7%8.4%3.6%
2023 55.3%15.4%5.6%19.9%3.4%
2024 45.2%12.2%5.4%33.5%3.3%
2025 37.2%9.6%6.4%43.2%3.3%
2026 28.6%7.5%5.4%55.1%3.1%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Electric cars in Westminster

48,694 battery electric cars were licensed in Westminster at the end of March 2026, 55.1% of all cars, the highest of 361 councils. With plug-in hybrids, 51,451 cars plug in. A year earlier there were 31,448.

Of the privately kept cars, which are registered at home addresses, 7.6% are battery electric (2,825 cars), 2nd highest of 33 councils in London. Companies keep 94.2% of the area’s battery electric cars, against 57.8% of its cars overall. There are also 383 battery electric vans.

Battery electric share of licensed cars

End of March each year. Fleet re-registrations can move a single area’s line sharply.

Battery electric share of licensed cars, Westminster compared, end of March each year
Year WestminsterLondonUnited Kingdom
2016 0.6%0.1%0.1%
2017 0.9%0.2%0.1%
2018 1.4%0.2%0.1%
2019 1.9%0.3%0.2%
2020 2.6%0.5%0.3%
2021 4.0%0.9%0.7%
2022 8.4%1.8%1.3%
2023 19.9%2.9%2.1%
2024 33.5%4.2%3.0%
2025 43.2%5.4%4.1%
2026 55.1%6.6%5.4%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Public EV chargers in Westminster

There were 2,893 public chargers in Westminster on 1 July 2026, 92 of them rapid or ultra-rapid (50kW and above). That is 1,378 for every 100,000 residents, 2nd highest of 361 councils, against 175 across the UK. The count rose 0.6% from 1 January 2026.

For every public charger there are 1.7 privately kept plug-in cars in Westminster (UK 11.9), 6th fewest of 361 councils. A higher number means more competition for each public charger, though many drivers charge at home.

Public chargers

Public EV chargers in Westminster by date
Date All public chargers50kW and above
Jan 2026 2,87592
Apr 2026 2,87894
Jul 2026 2,89392

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Chargers per 100,000 residents

Public chargers per 100,000 residents, Westminster compared
Area All chargers50kW and above
Westminster 1,37844
London 34528
England 17341
UK 17542

Source:DfT 1 July 2026 Updated

Electric cars by neighbourhood

Westminster has 24 ONS neighbourhoods (middle layer super output areas, about 7,000 residents each). In the typical one, 7.8% of privately kept vehicles are battery electric; in the highest, 11.7%. ONS names neighbourhoods by council and number, not by place name.

Neighbourhoods in Westminster with the highest battery electric share of privately kept vehicles
Neighbourhood (MSOA) Private vehicles Battery electric Electric share Plug-in share
Westminster 001 1,496 175 11.7% 16.3%
Westminster 002 2,136 214 10.0% 16.7%
Westminster 008 1,090 109 10.0% 15.0%
Westminster 003 1,495 138 9.2% 14.7%
Westminster 007 2,032 182 9.0% 14.5%
Westminster 011 2,180 196 9.0% 16.1%
Westminster 013 1,295 117 9.0% 15.2%
Westminster 012 1,447 121 8.4% 14.0%
Westminster 016 1,242 103 8.3% 13.7%
Westminster 017 1,326 105 7.9% 13.3%
Lowest electric shares
Westminster 010 1,504 62 4.1% 8.6%
Westminster 004 2,020 85 4.2% 8.3%
Westminster 005 2,155 103 4.8% 8.8%
Westminster 024 1,278 64 5.0% 9.2%
Westminster 023 1,502 88 5.9% 11.0%

Privately kept licensed vehicles of all types at the end of March 2026. 1 neighbourhood is left out because DfT withholds small counts there.

Road traffic and collisions in Westminster

Vehicles travelled an estimated 456 million miles on roads in Westminster in 2025.

Traffic on all roads

Million vehicle miles a year on roads in Westminster
Year Million vehicle miles
1993 656
1994 668
1995 670
1996 664
1997 660
1998 670
1999 673
2000 664
2001 643
2002 628
2003 618
2004 630
2005 632
2006 634
2007 615
2008 581
2009 559
2010 549
2011 538
2012 525
2013 519
2014 536
2015 542
2016 544
2017 535
2018 527
2019 512
2020 398
2021 431
2022 445
2023 448
2024 453
2025 456

Source:DfT 1993 to 2025 Updated

Reported injury collisions

Police-reported injury collisions in Westminster, 2021 to 2025
Year CollisionsKilled or seriously injured
2021 1,144218
2022 1,274257
2023 1,242257
2024 1,094227
2025 1,133255

Source:DfT STATS19,UK Motoring analysis 2021 to 2025 Updated

More road safety figures

Petrol and diesel prices in Westminster

Unleaded petrol averages 174.9p a litre across 10 filling stations in Westminster, 3.2p above the UK average. Diesel averages 198.7p, 4.1p above the UK average. Prices checked 16 Sept, 16:47.

Cheapest petrol

  1. Maida Vale Esso Express London 171.9p
  2. Esso MFG Dorset House Marylebone 171.9p
  3. BP MFG Lords St Johns Wood 171.9p

Every filling station and price in Westminster

How Westminster compares

Westminster compared with London, England, the UK
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
London 263 6.6% 3.7% 9.4% 345 5.5
England 437 5.8% 2.9% 10.6% 173 12.4
United Kingdom4415.4%2.8%9.9%17511.9

Private cars per 1,000 people use the ONS mid-2024 population. Chargers are counted at the latest date; plug-in cars at the end of March 2026.

Councils in London

Sorted by battery electric share of cars. Select a column heading to sort by it.

Councils in London
Westminster 178 55.1% 7.6% 57.8% 1,378 1.7
City of London 79 32.0% 7.8% 55.7% 443 2.5
Hammersmith and Fulham 199 18.3% 5.0% 22.2% 1,380 1.4
Camden 158 9.5% 7.5% 12.3% 378 5.3
Kensington and Chelsea 238 7.4% 6.6% 8.0% 637 4.7
Brent 231 7.1% 3.8% 12.5% 367 4.8
Barnet 321 6.4% 5.2% 7.0% 288 9.6
Islington 132 5.9% 4.5% 11.6% 386 3.5
Richmond upon Thames 358 5.4% 4.5% 5.5% 642 4.8
Harrow 335 5.2% 4.0% 6.1% 120 20.9
Hillingdon 361 5.2% 3.2% 15.5% 121 19.8
Merton 293 5.0% 4.1% 5.6% 436 5.3
Southwark 161 5.0% 4.2% 8.1% 618 2.0
Wandsworth 214 5.0% 4.2% 5.0% 532 3.4
Kingston upon Thames 353 4.9% 4.2% 3.9% 242 10.8
Tower Hamlets 127 4.9% 3.6% 10.9% 776 1.6
Ealing 272 4.6% 3.5% 7.5% 264 7.2
Hackney 137 4.5% 3.3% 10.4% 638 1.5
Haringey 213 4.5% 3.5% 8.7% 135 10.7
Lambeth 176 4.4% 3.6% 6.5% 244 5.2
Redbridge 301 4.4% 3.5% 7.1% 198 11.5
Barking and Dagenham 262 4.2% 2.9% 8.4% 100 18.6
Bromley 407 4.2% 3.5% 4.3% 67 39.1
Croydon 316 4.1% 3.3% 5.4% 153 12.9
Hounslow 299 4.1% 3.1% 6.7% 233 8.7
Sutton 377 4.0% 3.3% 4.2% 118 19.8
Greenwich 238 3.9% 3.2% 6.3% 101 14.8
Havering 387 3.6% 2.7% 6.0% 95 23.6
Newham 167 3.6% 2.8% 9.3% 159 7.6
Waltham Forest 250 3.5% 2.7% 7.6% 663 2.1
Enfield 333 3.4% 2.7% 6.8% 137 17.3
Lewisham 232 3.4% 2.9% 5.6% 133 11.4
Bexley 381 3.3% 2.8% 6.2% 269 7.5

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 95,545 licensed vehicles in Westminster 15 September 2026
Plug-in and electric vehicles Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 52,539 plug-in vehicles 15 September 2026
Public chargers Electric vehicle public charging infrastructure statistics Department for Transport 1 July 2026 121,171 public chargers (UK) 15 September 2026
Population Mid-year population estimates Office for National Statistics Mid-2024 404 areas 15 September 2026
Neighbourhoods Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 35,672 small areas (LSOAs) in England and Wales 15 September 2026
  • Coverage: licensing and charger figures cover the whole UK. Licensing figures in Westminster run from the end of 2009.
  • Vehicles are counted at the registered keeper’s postcode: for company cars that is the company’s address, not where the car is driven.
  • Battery electric and plug-in counts come from table VEH0142; petrol, diesel and hybrid counts from VEH0105. “Other fuels” is VEH0105’s other-fuel count less plug-in cars.
  • Charger counts are based on Zapmap data and are official statistics in development. In June 2026 one operator removed about 1,270 private chargers wrongly listed as public, so April and July are not strictly comparable.
  • Neighbourhood figures cover England and Wales only; Scottish data zones and Northern Irish super data zones cannot be placed in councils without lookups we do not hold.
How we calculate these figures All data sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.